Effects of pilotless technology on airline industry
The airline industry will save around 30 billion dollars by getting rid of the pilots. The problem with going pilotless is that most of the passengers are not comfortable with it. Only 17% of travelers feel confident flying pilotless. The technology will remove the pilot from all manual controls. This transition to pilotless planes will take place over a long period. It will start with the cargo planes and commercial planes will follow later. The price of tickets will drop significantly as operation costs drop.
Potential risks involved:
The pilotless planes will posses several security concerns. This will happen if a human will not be able to override the system in case of a glitch. The industry players might decide to have pilots on the ground. They would play a similar role to the military drone pilots. They will take over the plane when they sense trouble. Another concern is who will be in charge when the plane is on the air. Who takes charge in case of emergency landing? What if there is an unruly passenger? Will the computer communicate effectively with the air traffic control? These are some of the concerns that need to be addressed before we go pilotless.
What do pilots think?
They have concerns about security as well as safety. The pilots insist they have to intervene countless times when the automated system fails. Even though going pilotless will save the airlines money, they will need to make huge investments to make it a reality. Making pilotless planes safe will be the greatest problem. The greatest threat is the hacking problems. Hacking shows how vulnerable, the pilotless planes will become.
@Cinderella , A very interesting subject Cinders!
Robotics and its influence on society ??
However l think it deserves a thread of its own don’t you??
Perhaps you would like to start one ??
Donkeyman!
I recall the discussion elsewhere comparing the value of train drivers compared to airline pilots (The RMT Rail Strike) and the comparison of their pay rates.
Automated trains were suggested, as they need no driver, yet some argued that you DO need a driver in a train and compared that argument to the fact that you need a pilot in an airliner.
I think this thread clarifies the situation that whereas an automated train is perfectly practical (as they already exist) it would be unacceptable for airliners to fly without a pilot (or two).
@JBR , Yes, but so do computer controlled aircraft ??
Just look at drones and what they can do !!
Maybe your use of the term “unacceptable” is more—? well, “acceptable,”
In the terms of this argument to ‘impracticle’ or ‘impossible’ ??
Donkeyman!
I think the most important factor is that drones don’t carry people!
Yes, they may work reliably, but if there is a problem the drone would just drop to the ground and, being lighter, is less likely to cause injuries. An airliner full of passengers would be a completely different matter.
What does not get widely mentioned is that, during Lockdown, Airlines, like BA, felt the need to early retire thousands of staff, including flight staff.
The one thing I’ve heard said about BA is that they are certainly no longer one of the world’s best.
Perhaps it’s something to do with becoming a Spanish company.
It was the airlines that brought covid here in the first place. If every airport in the country closed overnight I wouldn’t lose a minutes sleep.
Just look at the sh$t over your heads right now…
It looks like the Ukraine is the most healthiest place to live right now, despite the Russian advance.
